Shore fishing tips

[bassleaner]

Hello All,

I just started Bass fishing and I am looking for some pointers on fishing for large mouth Bass from the lake shore. What's the best techniques to use, best baits etc..

Any tips gratefully accepted.

Thanks in advance.

Graham

[Koop]

Many of the same methods are applied, find an area of shoreline with good accessible structure and apply the same if not slightly modified techniques you would from off-shore.

As for lure / bait types, I'd suggest reading the beginning anglers articles and that should give you a much broader knowledge about what to use and when, ask more questions from there if you still have more.

There are a ton of articles about shore fishing that are very helpful, if you go to the upper right hand corner... fishing articles ---> for beginning anglers as well as ----> fishing techniques where these articles about shoreline bass fishing are found.

Enjoy!

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/shoreline_fishing.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bank_fishing.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bank_fishing_shore.html

[bassin is addicting]

i do 95% of my fishing from the bank

look for any cover to start.  weeds, brush, laydowns etc.

or shade during the day.  

i  used to cast straight out.... wrong...

cast parallel to the bank.  i would start out with worms.  i like to rig mine wacky, using a weedless hook, size 1/0.  they give the most action and work best under most conditions.

let it fall on slack line.  watching the line.  then reel slow and feel for any tug, tap, twitch, weight.  if you get a strike...watch your line... if it is moving set the hook...if it is a tap, just stop reeling a watch your line, most likely you will get another strike and then you can set the hook.

i also like to go at dusk and dawn.  using top water.  black jitterbug is my favorite.  again, casting parallel to bank.  it is easy to work and once you get a topwater blast..... you will be addicted...

there are many good articles on here to read.  what i just said is very basic but easy to learn and practice.

good luck!!

[bhos]

When I first got serious about targeting bass, I googled "bass behavior" and read a lot of info... for weeks.  The nice thing about doing that is that info is beneficial to both bank and boat fishing, where you fish from becomes merely a factor, not necessarily a sole determinate or perspective.  Once you understand a little more about your prey, the techniques/baits/etc begin to fall in place on their own.  The info given in thread so far is great, but don't forget to "know thy quarry" too.  A lot of people and/or groups have spent good money studying bass, take full advantage of it :for free

[kms399]

don't be afraid to get wet. when I was shore bound I would go to a spot fish from the bank for 20 casts or so then hop in-Quietly-and work the spots that you cant get to from shore because of trees, bushes ect. you need to move slowly always working the area you intend to walk through so you don't spook the fish. I would almost always be chest deep trying to get to a tree in the water or be to be able to cast to that outside weed edge. what ever it takes. watch craigs list and get your self a small cheap boat, canoe or kayak, you don't need a $30,000 bass boat to catch them.

[brophog]

Be patient. You can't run and gun like you can on a boat. I routinely see boaters that are going so fast around the lake that they aren't catching the fish. They throw on a crank or a spinner and just troll around the lake giving each spot a cast.

And they catch a few fish doing that, simply covering territory, but often we can catch just as good or better fish from the shore by working the same spots more methodically.

You have a bit of an advantage, in that you're forced to slow down and constantly adapt, and that can put you on fish that those boaters often miss. A boater is often apt to just change location, confident that their setup is the right one, but without thoroughly investigating all of their options. A shoreline fisherman will often change tactics first, which may bring promising opportunities.

A few things I do, if I'm from the bank, and especially if I'm new to that lake/area.

1) Start off with a bottom rig, such as a weighted plastic or lipped crank. This is my "sonar". I'm going to use that bait to scout the bottom of the lake. Am I picking up weeds, banging on the rocks, hooking into sticks? Can I get an idea on depth changes? Are there any pronounced drop offs in the area? This is going to tell me where bass may be hanging out. It can take some time, but you will be amazed at what a decent rod and some patience can tell you about what's below the water, especially on smaller bodies of water. In addition to this, get a topo map of the lake, if available. Without electronics, these resources are even more vital to fishing success.

2) Do not be afraid to scale down. Instead of a 3/8 or 1/2 oz spinnerbait, you may use a 1/4 oz spinnerbait. From the shore, you have less ground to pick and choose from, and you have to do a little more "catering" to the fish. I may start with a 1/4 spinnerbait to develop an idea of where fish may be holding, and then move up or down if necessary.

3) Gauge if the area has a tendency to hold fish. This is hard in a new area, but the one thing to always be conscious of when fishing from the shore is if that area is capable of holding fish. Sometimes, the fish are there, but you're presenting them the wrong offering. Sometimes, they simply are not. This is where the scouting of the bottom comes in really handy, to find sources that fish relate to. You're almost always going to be in a single area longer from the shore, but you still don't want to waste your time if you don't have to. Often times, it could be a single submerged hump or laydown in that area, that once located, can hold fish time and time again.

4) When I switch up baits from the shore, I'm much more likely to change types, rather than just colors/size. Because I'm limited in terms of water area, I want to hit all parts of the water column I can. Many times I may be throwing a lipless crank and catching fish, and then the bite stops, or the conditions change. A quick pass with a bottom bouncing jig or burning a spinner on the surface can often locate fish that I missed.

5) Carry what you need for several situations, but be mobile. Many people may think it looks silly, but I strongly recommend a vest of some sort for shore fishing. Carrying any sort of box or gearbag after a while just gets annoying, but a vest can carry a ton of gear and keep me mobile.

6) Be observant of nature. Is there any activity in the water, such as frogs, snakes, bugs, minnows, birds? Where there is life, there tends to be fish. Often times, something as simple as a surface ripple may be that sign that fish are in the area.

7) Cast into the wind. Yeah, this is a serious downside of being on the shore, but the wind drives the water current, helps oxygenate, and you want to be on the side of the lake where the current can drive that life to you, because life usually means fish. If you have trouble casting into the wind, it can help to change up to more compact baits of the type you normally would use. A 1/4 oz jighead with a 3 or 4 inch grub will cast very well, even in windy conditions, whereas a larger profile may tend to catch more of the wind.

8) Do not be afraid to go multi-species. I love bass fishing more than any other species, but sometimes the other critters are biting and the bass are not. Nothing sucks more than getting skunked, especially when you know you could be catching that crappie or blugill that keeps sucking at your offering. Don't let stubborn pride ruin what could have been an enjoyable day of fishing.

[Crestliner2008]

Very good post brophog! If that doesn't help, nothing will.  

[Busy]

brophog covered a lot of areas and makes a lot of good points.

I would stress the point he made about keeping mobile.  Many lakes only have piers or spots that are easily accessible on one side of the lake or only sporadically around the lake.  These spots shouldn't tell you where to fish.  Ignore them; pay attention to the water, wind, temps, sky, cover, baitfish, etc.  I see people get skunked all the time fishing from the shore because they simply drive to the first open pier they see.  I hike all around lakes and always have a rucksack on me thats full of tackle and anything else I might need.  Sometimes the piers work, sometimes you'll have to do some walking.

Don't be afraid to experiment!  From the shore in the evenings I like to start out casting parallel to the bank and fish grass patches with a rigged worm and make some final passes using a spinnerbait and putting a lot of vertical movement into it.  As dawn approaches I'll start casting more out in to the open, again starting on the bottom with a lipped crank or a heavy in-line spinner.  I'll work my way up through the water and fish the 30 minutes before dark using top-water lures.  If I'm fishing in the morning I'll do the same process in reverse.

Good luck!

[Spring_Break_92]

Shaded areas of the water under tree cover, fallen trees and logs, and stay quiet as possible. The first six casts or so I make from the shore are as far back as I can be while still able to cast.  

[Hammer 4]

Nothing to add, except re: casting into the wind..which I do often..I found that lower sidearm cast works best to get the bait out further, I try to keep my arm (right) at about 2 to 3 oclock, as with golf, a lower trajectory will get you more distance.

[foul hooked]

Great info here. Some one already said this,but I think it is worth repeating. If you can see your shadow on the water, you are standing to close to the edge.  Stay away from the edge.